Have you ever looked up “how to start your own blog” or even “how to create evergreen content”?

Both of those topics themselves are evergreen content, and I wanted to share with you why that’s important to encourage you to create evergreen content for your own platform and community.

So, let’s start with the question: What is evergreen content?

Evergreen content is content that stays relevant forever and ever, so it’s not about something that’s just happening right now. Rather, it’s something that someone would read 2 years from now and it would still apply to them.

So, why exactly is creating evergreen content important?

Reason 1: It continues to help long after the original publish date.

Most of the content created on this blog is intentionally evergreen content, because I want to make sure that it’s still helpful even if someone discovers it for the first time two years from now.

Topics like imposter syndrome? It can be 1990 or 2010; either way, I know there are going to be people who are struggling with imposter syndrome and would like to know how to overcome it.

And this can be applied to any industry. There are always opportunities for more evergreen content to be created.

Reason 2: SEO helps people find you and keeps traffic coming in.

Since evergreen content is still helpful and relevant long after the original publish date, people can search for the topics you write about (which, hopefully you’ve named your blog posts tiles strategically and intentionally so that they’re actually searchable and can be found) and find you as a result.

And when you search for common keywords like imposter syndrome or evergreen content, you’ll find that many people have written about those topics too.

You might think that that’s a bad thing, but it’s very much a good thing and here’s why:

It’s a topic people actually want to learn about and are interested in. You don’t want to be writing about something no one even cares about.

Have you ever searched for something and clicked on a bunch of links only to click on more links?

Even if your blog post isn’t in the top searches, you still have a chance of being found especially if your post is different (which is why it’s important to add your own perspective and takeaways).

If your post is just like everyone else’s, it doesn’t give them an incentive to stay on your page when they can just as easily get the same information from someone else. Go the extra mile and give a little more.

That’s also why it’s important to create a free resource library. People love free stuff.

I mean -- we've all gone to Costco to get all the free samples before, amirite?

Reason 3: You can always repurpose that content!

Let’s be honest: Content creation can be hard - and sometimes, our brains just need a break.

If you think you can only write about something once, think again.

Say you’ve written a blog post that did fairly well, why not talk about those things in your email newsletter or share it on Instagram?

Chances are, most people on your email list and who are following you on Instagram haven’t read your original blog post before.

And even if they have, they can always use a refresher or just skip it altogether.

It goes back to reason 1 as to why creating evergreen content is important - because it can continue helping people long after the publish date.

So now that we’ve establish how this type of content helps your blog grow, are you going to start creating more evergreen content?

Have you ever wondered what it's like to launch a digital product in just 12 days?

And if you've already created your own digital product, have you ever wondered what it's like for others?

Because I have.

And that's exactly what I'm writing this post: to share my own experiences with you and the lessons I learned along the way.

Fair warning: This is a really long post. Over 2,000 words. Apparently, I had a lot to say.

When the idea turned into a commitment

Trying to launch a digital product in 12 days... is no easy feat. And I knew that going into it.

So why did I choose to give myself such a short timeline if I already knew that?

Honestly - because I was slacking ...and scared. Slacking because I was scared.

Scared no one would care or even notice.

Scared my designs weren't going to be good.

Scared people were going to say it's a dumb idea.

Scared it would turn out to be an absolute failure.

Y'know, the voices of self-doubt and imposter syndrome.

So while sitting on my bed one morning (about two weeks ago), I decided to give myself a challenge: launch a digital product shop in 12 days.

I actually decided on 12 days, because 15 days would mean launching on near the end of the week and 20 days felt long enough for me to talk myself out of it.

The thing is... when you tell yourself you’re going to do something, you already know in that moment whether or not you’re going to follow through with it. 

Because you already know what your commitment level is.

And if you don't follow through on the things you say you're going to do enough times... you stop believing in yourself.

So a while back, I decided to stop saying I'll do things if I already know I"m not going to do them. All that to say don't make your self-doubt worse than it already is.

Show yourself that you're the kind of person who follows through on things, because you are. And if you're not, you can be.

Change your history by writing a new one.

the first few days (days 1-4)

The first few days mostly consisted of me "getting my feet wet".

Mostly working on new design templates for the shop (media kits for bloggers, pricing guides for photographers, business cards for creative entrepreneurs and personal brands), etc. Wrote a few things here and there. Uploaded a few things onto Instagram.

And by day 3 or 4, I started feeling the imposter syndrome.

... let's just say it was not a very fun feeling to experience.

When you're creating completely new, your self-doubt and fear has a way of creeping up on you. But just because it shows up knocking doesn't mean you have to go answer the door.

Instead of running away from the self-doubt and imposter syndrome feeling, I faced my fears.

At the end of the day, we get to choose what we believe and allow into our minds. 

So if you want to change your present and your future, then you have to change what you believe and say to yourself.

Because saying things like "It's never going to work" or "No one is going to care" isn't going to help you want to start (let alone continue) or help you believe in yourself.

Believing is yourself is a huge part of the process and journey.

If you don't believe in yourself, you're going to have a really hard time creating things and stayed inspired and true to yourself. Trust me on this. You don't want to feel like you're fighting yourself every step along the way, especially when the journey is so long.

the next few days (days 5-8)

As the days went on, the imposter syndrome feeling and self-doubt noise started to wind down. Go figure, right?

Also, I think the fact that I only had 12 days (or in this case, about 8 days left) to make this work didn't leave very much room for them (self-doubt and feeling like an imposter).

A lot of people think working for yourself is a glamorous lifestyle, but honestly? It's a lot of hard work and can be a very isolating and lonely feeling sometimes, which is why I'm so glad I was co-working with my friend on most days if not going to the coffee shop to be around people.

If you're feeling isolated and lonely in your work, create time in your schedule to spend time with others. Even going to a coffee shop with a friend to work can be extremely helpful.

uploading the files into the shop (which... I ended up redoing later on in the week)

designing the shop catalog (and then majorly redesigning it)

writing content (email newsletters and blog posts)

creating the blog and social kits

... and more

As you can see (and as I've realized), creating a shop involves a lot of tasks, time, and energy. Way, way more than I originally expected and planned for.

The little things here and there definitely do add up over time.

But as tedious as some of the tasks may have been, I've got to say it felt so good to put everything together and rewarding to actually see everything come together.

Fun fact: I stayed up 40+ HOURS during this time.

Yep, you read that right. FOURTY HOURS.

So I didn't intend on this happening. It wasn't on purpose, but I got a ton of stuff done during this 40 hour chunk. Honestly not even sure how I was still so functional and came up with exciting ideas, but sometimes you just go with the flow and don't question things (this was one of those times).

Disclaimer: I don't advocate or recommend doing this. Please take care of yourself. Mental health and self-care is extremely important, not to mention essential, in life, business, and staying sane.

the days leading up to the launch (days 9-11)

If I had to be completely honest, I was a bit scared, anxious, and overwhelmed that I wouldn't have everything done in time.

And if I'm being really honest, I was "burning the candle" a little bit.

During the days leading up to the launch, I just wanted to sleep. I spent most of the weekend working. And when I wasn't working, I was taking naps or eating food.

Sure, I could've pushed the deadline off a bit more. But I made a commitment to myself to make this thing happen - and that's what I did.

By the way, I always recommended listening to your body and tuning into your intuition.

Ever since reading Intuitive Eating a few years ago, I am really big on listening to yourself and doing what's best for YOU.

Not what you think others think is best for you or what other people tell you, but what your own body and mind is telling you. And that's exactly what I did.

I knew I still had a bit of fire left in me and the capability to push through.

Plus, I was so close to finishing everything and launching!

The truth is a lot of us underestimate ourselves and what we’re capable of. 

The next time self-doubt and imposter syndrome come knocking on your door, ask yourself why and what you can take away from the experience.

Where did you learn to doubt yourself so much? Because this is a learned behavior.

And what would happen if you just went for it? Because you can gain so much from the experience, especially if you try and give yourself a real shot.

None of that one foot in and another out mumbo jumbo.

If I had listened to those voices of fear and self-doubt in the beginning, I would have never made it to the days leading up to the launch. Or the launch day itself.

And another thing...

Don't chase perfection, because you will end up really, really exhausted.

Remember earlier when I mentioned the activities I did? When I reorganized files, redesigned the PDF, and re-uploaded the files?

That was me chasing perfection.

It's common for creatives to want their work to be perfect - just the way they imagined, but as every creative knows, it rarely turns out that way.

But here's the amazing thing: It doesn't make our work or the journey any less beautiful.

What happens when you let go of being perfect?

You give yourself the chance for things to happen.

Because when you're busy chasing perfection, you spend most (if not all) of your time, energy, and resources doing the same thing over and over again until it's "perfect".

And I don't know if you've ever had this experience, but I've had moments where I basically did just that (did things over and over again) until a. I lost the original concept, b. I ended up really frustrated and annoyed at myself, and c. gave up altogether ending up with ...nothing.

Building and growing Wholehearted Woman has truly taught me to be more patient and kind with myself. And that things don't have to be perfect in order for them to be good.

That I don't have to be perfect, which means you don't have to perfect either. No one does.

Because we can spend our whole lives telling ourselves that we're going to do something and then never do it.

The difference between those who get things done and those who don't is a choice.

A choice to show up, do the work, and keep going even when things get hard. So choose to do something about it and choose yourself.

Well, this section ended up being wayyyy longer than I planned, but I hope you got a few nuggets out of this.

If this blog helped you in any way, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below!

Before we end this, I have a few final thoughts (because no, those last few paragraphs weren't my final thoughts...).

launch day + final thoughts

So I actually finished up the shop and everything the evening before the launch date (or so I thought - keep reading to find out what happens next...) and was super excited about sharing it with everyone (and did not want to wait until the next day - serious case of instant gratification here) soooo I sent out an early access email plus special gift to my email subscribers!

After writing and sending out that email, I decided to take a break for a few hours.

Well, after my break and eating dinner, I realized that now I had to work on my marketing plan. 12 days only gives you so much time, space, and energy for priorities.

So I spent the next few hours creating marketing material, including Instagram content.

Let's just say I stayed up until 3:30 am that morning to finish and upload everything.

But given the circumstances (that I gave to myself... yes, yes, I know), I'm super proud of how everything came out!

In all honesty though, launch day wasn't as exciting as one would think. Maybe I should've bought myself a little cake or something and shared a video on Instagram. Actually, I think I'll do that on the next release.

I'm thinking a mango mousse dessert? How does that sound? Delicious, right?!

I’ve always been a fan of Caroline from Made Vibrant (who also happens to be Jason’s wife) and her work.

A few years ago, I bought Caroline’s course Better Lettering Course for $20. Last year, I bought Caroline’s course Create Your First Online E-Course for $30.

So evidently, seeing whole numbers did not stop me from buying something. In fact, sometimes it made me more excited, because it didn't feel like someone was trying to "market" me and that they were focused more on providing valuable education and resources.

That was my first sign that maybe I should just round up to whole numbers.

2. Rising Tide Society - Tuesdays Together event

Fortunately, by the time the Tuesdays Together monthly meeting came around, I was already a few days into 12 Days to Launch, so I wasn’t completely in concept and brainstorming stage anymore.

By this time, I had a few of my products built out, knew what each of them included, and how they would help someone’s business.

And since my goal is to sell the design templates to creative entrepreneurs, bloggers, influencers, photographers, etc., I thought it’d be a good idea to ask the group I was in.

Pro tip: Ask people who are your ideal clients and customers for feedback. Sometimes, we want to think we know everything ourselves - but we don’t.

The result? They didn’t like the odd numbers, either. It can feel like someone is tricking you into thinking it’s a “better” deal because the price tag ended in a certain number.

So after that conversation and reading Jason’s article at Wandering Aimfully, I decided to round up my pricing to whole numbers.

The other thing I did?

3. Increased my prices.

Why? Because I realized I was providing a lot of value in time, energy, knowledge, and expertise in what I was offering.

I'm not talking about like majorrrr price increases, but an additional $10-20 here and there. Which let's be honest, is about how much a lunch meal ends up costing anyway.

Also, I know what works well with blog posts, Pinterest, and what’s going to help you make the most impact and get the best engagement.

Plus, every platform serves a different purpose because each platform is used differently. 

Another major part of it is that I’m not designing things just to make them look pretty (although that’s a huge part of it because creating good experiences is essential), I’m also incorporating my knowledge of branding, marketing, and the Internet into my designs.

Increasing your prices to $20-30 when someone can find a $5-10 template can be scary, but what ultimately helped me get over this fear was realizing that my design templates are unique.

Every digital product and online service out there is unique and different, whether it’s a copywriting service, a productivity membership site, an ebook on how to create your first course, etc.

Just like how every brand has its own personality, every designer has their own personality too.

4. Pricing that feels good to you.

Sometimes, pricing can feel like you’re pulling numbers out of thin air.

At the end of the day, I think it really comes down to what feels good to you.

The truth is that everyone will have an opinion on how you “should” price your products, but the only person that knows what’s best for you is YOU.

So ask yourself if what you're pricing your digital products at feels good to you.

Does it make sense to you? Does it feel aligned? Are you confident in it?

$10/template didn’t feel good to me.

Especially when I'm providing more than one variation for each template.

It felt like it came from a place of scarcity, fear, and worry that no one would want to buy my products. Because there were so many other products out there, I “should” lower my pricing so other people would think it’s a better deal.

But wouldn’t it be better to come from a place to confidence and clarity (in knowing that the value you’re providing is amazing)?

From a place of abundance (in knowing that potential customers are everywhere and there’s enough to go around)?

From a place of believing in yourself (because it’s really exhausting not to)?

As Gary Vee always says, "What's the alternative?"

Believe in yourself and believe in what you’re making.

Self-doubt will not only kill your productivity, but it can slowly chip away at your passion and soul as well.

conclusion

While I may not have the answer to how to actually price your own digital products and courses, I hope that by sharing my own experiences through this whole journey, you’re able to see that there is no right or wrong answer.

There is no magic formula that will solve everything, but instead there are a lot of factors to take in and that there is no right or wrong way to do anything.

Do what feels good to you, because the most important thing is that you keep doing it.

Test and experiment. Be okay with making mistakes. We learn by doing, taking action, and putting ourselves.

If you’re a one-woman show (or even if you’re not), your brand is constantly evolving, because you are constantly evolving.

It’s how you show people that you’re committed and this isn’t just some one week hobby where they’ll never see or hear from you again.

Show them that you’ve put time, energy, and intention into this.

It’s how you communicate with others -

what they can expect from you,

where they can hear from you (social, email, blog, etc.), and

why you’re doing it (your story makes you, you).

Don’t be afraid to be yourself and infuse some personality into it. It’s how you create a brand worth remembering and going back to. 

The truth is, there’s a lot of noise out there and a lot of short attention spans. So how do you capture and keep someone’s attention? By showing them you’re worth paying attention to - by helping them make their lives better.

It’s a big world out there, so how can you set yourself apart from everyone else?

The short answer is through branding.

But I’ve never been one for short answers.

So here’s the longer version:

By being…

in alignment, because it will shine through.

transparent, because people appreciate the truth.

vulnerable, and that’s how deeper connection is built.

yourself, because there’s no one quite like you.

By sharing…

your story and what you believe in.

your core values and what you support.

your past, because we’ve all gone through some kind of hardship.

your personality, because “like attracts like”, right?

By doing…

what feels good to you.

the things that make sense to you.

the inner work and asking yourself the hard Q’s.

whatever it is you need to do to grow.

All of the things I’ve mentioned above will help you grow your brand.

Because when you understand yourself and why it’s so important to do what you do, you start to show up for others in a bigger and more impactful way.

How does your brand make people FEEL?

Okay, let’s talk about feelings. Because I’m totally a feelings kind of person.

And if you’re here reading this, I’m pretty sure you’re one too.

I mean… you are reading this on a site called Wholehearted Woman, after all.

When people look at and interact with your brand, how do they feel?

Is it a good or bad feeling? A feeling they want more or less of?

Have you ever talked to someone who made you feel really good about yourself? Confident, like you can conquer anything.

And when you talk to someone else, you have a completely different experience. You walk away feeling discouraged and doubtful about yourself.

brands are like people.

Every brand has its own personality.

Some brands are more soft-spoken, but they make you want to look twice because you’re intrigued. While others seem to feel more sociable and charismatic.

And we’re all attracted to a certain type of person.

Some people are more drawn to words like… intuitive, feminine, authentic, soulful. (Hey, that's us!) While others are more drawn to words like.. bold, powerful, daring, impactful.

The goal of branding isn’t to attract everyone; it’s to attract the right people that resonate with you and your brand. 

It’s exactly why when introverts see that someone else is also an introvert, that’s the first thing they mention.

Because that’s who they connect to and resonate with the most.

What’s your brand personality, and how can you communicate that in your branding?

Remember, your brand doesn’t have to be or look like every other brand out there. Those brands already exist.

It’s time to think about what makes your brand unique, and branding is an awesome non-ending opportunity to do just that.

There are many ways to communicate with others, but here are the two main ways:

1. Words -

This blog post you’re reading right up is made up of many words. How are you feeling? Inspired? Bored out of your mind?

Either way, words have the power to make you feel something, which is why it’s so important to use your voice and infuse your personality into it. Is it going to resonate with everyone? Probably not. But, it is going to attract the right people who want to hear your message and work with you.

2. Visuals -

I don’t think I need to tell you how important visuals are. I mean, that’s why Instagram is so successful, isn’t it? Because we loveeee looking at pretty pictures. I know I do.

It’s aspirational - it’s what you want for yourself / your own life.

The thing with visuals is that it can either help you or harm you.

Can it actually harm you and your brand? Yes, it can. Or maybe not. I’ll let you decide on this one, but let's be honest, we've all judged a book by its cover before.

Here’s the thing:

People are constantly making first impressions on how we present ourselves.

As someone is scrolling through your website and Instagram feed now, they’re telling themselves a story.

Maybe it’s a story of how they want to learn everything there is to know about you, or maybe it’s a story of how they can find someone else.

Whether it’s through words, visuals, video, audio, or some other form of media, you want to make sure it represents who you are, how you feel, what you do, and how you can help them make their lives better.

So ask yourself if the messages you want to send and the feelings you want to evoke are coming across in your branding.

By the way, I’m launching a design shop for soulful, creative women.

If you have a personal brand and you’re a content creator, service provider (photographer, coach, consultant, etc.), influencer, blogger, etc., then this is for you.

Look, I don’t know everything that there is to know about branding. And I’m not going to pretend I do, because that’s not my gig and I don't.

But I do know that branding is about providing a good experience for other people and helping them feel good about themselves. So I just wanted to share with you on what I know about branding and building a meaningful relationship with the people who choose you.

Speak your truth and share your heart with those who need to hear it.

AUTHOR BIO

Hi there! I'm Molly, the founder of Wholehearted Woman.

I help bloggers establish and grow their brand identity and online presence through intentional strategy, visual design, vulnerability, and personal growth.

Be the person you needed when you were younger and share your story, because you're the one who someone else needs today.